Wednesday, July 05, 2006

NORTH KOREA FIRES 6 NODONGS: TAEPODONG FALLS APART AFTER LESS THAN 40 SECONDS

North Korea test-fired seven missiles on July fourth, after threatening the U.S. with nuclear annihilation if it interfered. We needn't have bothered. Six of the seven were nodong scuds, and one was their new taepodong, purportedly able to reach U.S. soil. The taepodong failed less than forty seconds after launch. The nodongs, while disturbing, are a weapon No. Korea has beeen known to posess. Kim Jong Il is madman, but his bark is worse than his bite, as was shown on the fourth of July.

It's a good bet that China, being the key player in this situation, is limiting No. Korea's expertise with their missile program. They have no desire to see any nuclear retaliation aimed at a country on their border. I don't see that this helps No. Korea at all with that relationship. Russia will also feel pressure to redefine their relationship with their former "client-state." Japan will find more political support for expanding their military capabilities, which is also good news for us, bad for NK.

South Korea is the most directly threatened nation, but is in a unique position. I don't see them reacting in the media coverage yet, and do not expect to. They are in the eye of the storm, with their "sunshine" policy. We must make every effort not to be baited by North Korea's efforts to extort more aid from the world. This death camp of a nation has existed for far too long. It must be strangled off of the face of the Earth, preferably without a war, nuclear or conventional.

I'm not so optimistic about those odds, though.Trackbacked at STOP THE ACLU.